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Windows 7 clients may not be able to print to Windows Server 2003 print server

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SYMPTOMS

When you try to print from a Windows 7 client to a Windows Server 2003 print server, the print job fails, and the following event may be logged in the event log:

 

Event ID: 372

Level: Error

Description:

The document <document name>, owned by <user name>, failed to print on printer <printer name>. Try to print the

document again, or restart the print spooler.

Data type: <data type>. Size of the spool file in bytes: <size>. Number of bytes

printed: 0. Total number of pages in the document: 1. Number of pages printed: 0.

Client computer: <machine name>. Win32 error code returned by the print processor: 1722.

The RPC server is unavailable.

 

CAUSE

This problem occurs because Windows 7 tries to communicate with the print server by using the Asynchronous RPC protocol. However, this protocol is supported only by Windows Server 2008 and later versions. This protocol is not supported by Windows Server 2003.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, create an EnabledProtocols DWORD value on the client computer. To do this, follow these steps: 1. In Registry Editor, locate the following subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Printers\

 

2. Right-click Printers , point to New , and then click DWORD .

3. Type EnabledProtocols .

4. Rigkt-click EnabledProtocols .

5. In the Value data box, type 6 .

6. Close Registry Editor.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    July 08, 2013
    Tried it, doesn't work. Machine just hangs...

  • Anonymous
    August 02, 2013
    This "workaround" is being touted as a solution for driver installation problems when the version number of a printer queue is updated (e.g. support.microsoft.com/.../2864755).   It smells of there being an underlying problem in the printing subsystem that Microsoft is not addressing...

  • Anonymous
    December 03, 2013
    I am seeing the same issue with my windows 7 x64 computers connecting to my print server which is 2008 r2 rather than 2003. It has been going on for 6 months and a reboot of the afflicted win7 computer is the easy solution rather then unmapping printers etc.. Is there a simliar known printing issue as detaisl on this thread? Please email me @ shiney69rr@gmail.com. Thank you in advance. Rob